Jim Rogers: Credit Crisis Not Halfway Through

Source : The Business Times, May 9, 2008

THE credit crisis 'isn't halfway through', said investor Jim Rogers. There may be more write-offs from European and Asian banks.

Mr Rogers said that the crisis has not bottomed as far as he was concerned. Considering the scale of the credit bubble that burst, he said that it would likely take years to 'clean it up'. He was speaking yesterday at Barclays' launch of a new agricultural commodities fund linked to an index that he designed.

Called the Global Agriculture Delta Fund in Hong Kong and Singapore, it tracks the agriculture sub-index of the Rogers International Commodity Index (RICI).

A sales charge will apply, and the annual management fee is currently 1.05 per cent.

Recently, Barclays also launched the Global Commodities Delta Fund, linked to the RICI index. The fund has raised some US$550 million in the region.

The RICI-Agriculture index is designed to reflect global demand and supply of agricultural commodities, and is one of the most diversified indices. Wheat, corn and cotton are the largest components, but the index also includes items like barley and azuki beans.